Erin Ratchick, an Account Manager out of Atlanta, has done service trips abroad since high school. Recently, she went to Honduras to volunteer at our Insight Global-funded GRIT Clinic with OneWorld Health.
Erin witnessed extreme poverty and healthcare inequity before but says it’s still a “reality check.” In the rural villages, animals were skin and bones, houses were half gone, and folks were thankful to have any form of a roof over their heads. Clean water was scarce, so they handed out parasite medications, hydration packets, and other basics like vitamins and pain medications.
Sometimes the lack of resources made it tough to meet people’s needs – a real reminder of the poverty-driven challenges these villagers face. Erin recalled a situation where medication needed refrigeration, but the patient had no fridge. Another person was told to take morning medications with a glass of water, but they didn’t have drinking water until lunch.
As a thank you, villagers brought field-to-table freshly brewed coffee, which Erin said was about a week’s wages for them. Some helped lend a hand setting or packing up despite age or physical limits.
For Erin, being part of Insight Global means to be of service and to Be the Light. “I’m Christian, and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ is what we’re told. Your neighbor doesn’t just mean the person right next door. It means the person in Honduras. It means the person in Uganda, Nicaragua, anywhere,” Erin said. “We’re all humans. We’re all made of flesh and blood. Just because we come from different environments doesn’t mean we’re different or deserve different things. Everybody deserves the same access and same rights. Accessing medical aid really does change all parts of their lives.”
The world’s problems might seem huge, but Erin’s advice is to keep at it. “We can make a dent. That’s how we change things. We need everybody’s hands on deck.”
How can you help change someone’s life today?